Chelsea's second goal was a well-crafted team effort, started by Thibaut Courtois and finished by Willian down the other end just 19 seconds later. Click HERE for more from Sportsmail's excellent Match Zone service.

Chelsea are now guaranteed of a place in the last 16, but still need a result on the final matchday to secure top spot ahead of Roma

Nine points behind domestic leaders Manchester City is a far from ideal position to be in going into December.

But Chelsea's title defence has been far from a disaster. All in all, this is very unlike Chelsea. What happened to the second-season managerial curse?

A season of success followed by one of failure, eventually leading to the manager's sacking? We've seen the movie enough times to know the ending.

Questions continue to linger over Conte's job security and his relationship with the real decision makers at Stamford Bridge. But maybe, just maybe, Conte can become the one that sticks.

He is consistently delivering; those above him in the Chelsea food chain will do well to remember that.

Willian is felled by Qarabag captain Sadygov, who saw red for his challenge after just 19 minutes of the match in Azerbaijan

Willian hits the ground at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, before watching the referee show Sadygov a red card

Sadygov looked distraught to have been sent off, leaving Group C's bottom side with a very difficult match ahead of them

Here in Baku, the Blues were indebted to two hugely debatable penalties and the controversial sending off of Qarabag skipper Rashad Sadygov.

But, make no mistake, Chelsea would have won this game no matter what. In the end it was four - Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas' penalties supplementing Willian's brace.

But it should have been double that goal tally, Chelsea squandering a host of chances against the Azerbaijani champions.

The big news before kick-off saw the recall of David Luiz to the Chelsea starting XI following a training ground flare-up with his manager which saw him miss the last two game.

Only time will tell if Luiz can work his way back into Conte's domestic plans, but, for now, the Brazilian is off the naughty step.

Hazard kept his cool despite the long break between the foul and his penalty kick, easily slotting past Sehic to make it 1-0

As Sehic dived to his right, Hazard fired the ball into the opposite corner of the goal to set Chelsea off on the right track

Luiz was one of four changes from the side that brushed West Brom aside so emphatically on Saturday, Conte clearly keeping an one eye on Saturday's showdown against Liverpool.

Not that the changes would have filled Qarabag with any more optimism: seasoned internationals Willian, Antonio Rudiger and Pedro the other three alterations.

However, from the opening 15 minutes, it was hard to tell which team were overwhelming favourites.

Buoyed by the exuberant home support, Qarabag started brightly showing no sign of an inferiority complex.

They were unlucky not to take a 14th-minute lead as Michel rattled the bar from close range after Chelsea's back-four parted like the Red Sea.

Hazard then turned provider for the second as he flicked beautifully for Willian to finish 10 minutes before the half-time break

Willian put the ball past Sehic to all-but confirm Chelsea's place in the knockout stages of Europe's premier competition

The Brazilian flicked the ball up in celebration after doubling Chelsea's lead in Baku's Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night

The decibel levels soared; Qarabag - on the biggest night of their history - sensed one of the most profound Champions League shocks of all time.

Five minutes later the cheers turned to jeers.

The boos were aimed at Portuguese referee Manuel De Sousa, who had just awarded Chelsea a 20th-minute penalty after Willian fell in the box under pressure from Sadygov.

The home side were incensed. Television replays suggest they have a case.

But if they were livid at the penalty, then you only imagine their fury at De Sousa when he brandished a red card.

The Qarabag skipper couldn't believe it, stood staring into thin air with his hands on his head. His team-mates were taking a more proactive approach, angrily remonstrating with the Portuguese official.

Davide Zappacosta, Pedro, Willian and Hazard celebrate as Sehic picks the ball up following Chelsea's second goal

The keeper guessed the right way with Fabregas' penalty towards the end, but the Spaniard still found the back of the net

Fabregas kisses the tattoo on his left forearm to celebrate scoring Chelsea's third goal on the way to a 4-0 victory in Baku

The injustice was all too much for manager Gurban Gurbanov, who called all his players to the touchline for an impromptu team talk. Perhaps they were praying for a miracle as they huddled in together.

Not that Hazard was bothered, sending Ibrahim Sehic the wrong way to put Chelsea ahead.

The Olympic Stadium fell quiet; the home crowd knew this was over as contest. The sense of injustice made it even more difficult to swallow for the Azerbaijanis.

Hazard and Luiz both went close with headers to double Chelsea's advantage before the Blues eventually scored a second nine minutes before the break.

Willian took the glory, cooly slotting past Sehic but Hazard's audacious flick to set up the Brazil international was exquisite.

Willian gets the better of Elvin Yunuszade, who can't get in the way of the Brazilian's powerful shot to make it four late on